High School Basketball: Edgewood heading back to the hardwood

Glendora, Damien, Keppel and Covina are among the area powerhouses scheduled to participate in the 24-team Sierra Vista/Baldwin Park boys basketball tournament that begins Monday.

But there also is a blast from the past. Edgewood High School is making its return to varsity basketball for the first time since 1988.

Edgewood was a well-known area high school that competed in the Sierra and Valle Vista leagues for many years. It won back-to-back CIF baseball titles in the 1970's and produced some of the best wrestling teams in area history.

Mike Powell, the world record holder in the long jump, was a slam-dunking machine for Edgewood in the early 1980's, but the school closed its doors and merged with West Covina in 1989 as Edgewood became a junior high school.

But now it's back and things have changed.

Edgewood is blue and gold instead of green and gold and its nickname is the Lions instead of the Trojans.

Coach Damien Tate, who played basketball at Edgewood until the school merged with West Covina, said it feels like more of an expansion squad than old Edgewood.

"Weird ain't the word," Tate said. "It's hard to get used to the colors and the name. Blue and gold? The Lions? That doesn't feel like Edgewood.

"But we're starting over from scratch. This isn't Edgewood the way it use to be. It's a new era."

There are only 600 students in the school and no seniors. The first senior class isn't until 2014.

There also is no football team, although West Covina head coach Mike Maggiore and former South Hills coach Steve Bogan - they own a combined seven CIF titles - both graduated from Edgewood.

Softball and swimming also will compete on the varsity level this season, but Edgewood has a long way to go before it starts fielding more athletic programs.

Edgewood re-entered the CIF-Southern Section as an independent playing a freelance schedule with hopes of joining the Montview or Valle Vista League in the coming years.

For Tate, he knows it's going to be a learning and humbling experience.

Edgewood opens the Sierra Vista/Baldwin Park tournament at Baldwin Park on Monday against Walnut at 3 p.m., followed by West Valley power Keppel on Wednesday.

The Lions hope 5-foot-8 guard Daniel Aguilar and 5-foot-6 Cameron Lee can lead the way, but Tate expects a lot of bumps in the road.

"I don't want our guys focused on wins and losses. My main goal is to teach these guys to work hard," Tate said. "We're not anything close to what you would call a basketball school. We're looking for a different kind of player, a kid that has a never-quit attitude.

"At the end of the day it's about competing and working hard. If they give me that we can live with whatever the result will be."

For Tate, it's a fun opportunity and a different point in his career.

He played college basketball at San Francisco State, worked in radio and television and was employed by Warner Brothers for 14 years before being laid off two years ago.

"I still live in West Covina and always wanted to get back into coaching," Tate said. "For it to be Edgewood, that's special."